


Voted Most Likely To Run Away...

by washtheseghostsclean



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Jos Verstappen's A+ Parenting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:27:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27124483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/washtheseghostsclean/pseuds/washtheseghostsclean
Summary: ...With YouDaniel’s soft lips are pressed against Max’s, his hands resting gently on Max’s waist. The kiss is slow, almost innocent and Daniel tastes of Champagne and bad decisions. Max has never taken the right one in his life anyway.
Relationships: Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen
Comments: 12
Kudos: 137





	Voted Most Likely To Run Away...

**Author's Note:**

> Oops! There I go again with Taylor! Listening to Miss Americana & The Heart Break Prince is highly recommended.

He’s seventeen when they meet for the first time. 

Max can barely wrap his head around the fact that he has landed a seat with Red Bull. Everything they have worked for is finally coming to fruition. His father is beyond happy so that is also a plus. As long as Jos is happy Max has nothing to be scared of. God knows Jos is not a fun person to deal with when things do not go his way. 

“We all want to run away at the start.” The cheery voice brings him out of his thoughts. Max can read between the lines, though. Daniel’s words are anything but happy or comforting. 

“ I don’t.” Max shrugs and disappears into his driver’s room.

* * *

Max is still fucking terrified. Not of driving or the car, he knows how to do that very well. No, he’s scared of the expectations that come with driving for this specific team. Max is scared of what his father will demand of him and if he will be able to deliver. Because nothing is enough for Jos Verstappen. Max has come to terms with that. Max gets his first podium and his father has nothing but negative things to say. 

_ ‘I would have taken that turn this way.’  _

_ ‘I would have pushed more.'  _

_ ‘I would have passed Vettel faster.’  _

Max wants to scream that he can’t because Jos is not driving. Jos made sure to throw all his driving dreams away with his shitty behavior. Max cannot say that though. He cannot disrespect his father that way. 

“Maxy?” He does not realize he’s crying until he hears Daniel’s voice. Max wipes his tears quickly, his red eyes give away everything anyway. He doesn’t know what Daniel sees but Max is pulled into a warm hug the next moment. He melts into the embrace, he lets Daniel’s familiar smell and thick hoody give him a false sense of security. “No one will judge you if you  _ do _ run away,” Daniel whispers into Max’s hair only half-joking. 

It tears something between a sob and a laugh from the back of Max’s throat.

* * *

They race each other hard. Always head to head, always trying to outdo each other on the next turn. Sometimes it’s fun and they laugh about it. Others it costs them two cars and a shit lot of points. Max is not proud of what happened in Baku. That does not mean he’s going to be the first one to breakthrough. He and Daniel get along most of the time. They laugh and joke around and have fun. But there’s too much at stake for him to be able to concede a win to Daniel this easily. Christian’s voice is clear on the radio. 

_“Let him pass, Maxy.”_ But he will not. Max is more scared of his father than he is of Christian. _“Max, let Daniel pass you."_ Instead, he cuts back and they just crash into each other. 

* * *

Christian is not screaming and that’s the worst about this. Max wished his boss would yell at them, but Christian’s voice is low during the debrief and he’s just… 

It takes him a few seconds to place the right word to the feeling. Christian is just disappointed. With both of them. Max’s eyes meet Daniel’s across the table and he can only see contempt and anger in them. Max feels the same, he would rip Daniel apart if he could right now. Perfect Daniel that everyone loves. Daniel that can do no fucking wrong. 

“I kinda wish you had run away that first day.” Daniel breaks the silence. They have been left alone to apologize to each other. The words are cold and Max does not know why the cut so deep. Daniel means nothing to him, he’s just someone Max works with. 

“I kinda wish the same too.” He murmurs and get’s up, adjusting his cap. He’s out of the door before Daniel can say anything else.

* * *

They are not friends but they are not enemies either. 

They just _are_.

Things have been awkward after Baku, Max cannot deny it. But he’s apologized and is trying to get along with Daniel. His teammate is not a bad guy but he can be infuriating sometimes. He has a smart comment for everything and a dirty mind and Max despises it. He hates that this man he’s barely known can make him laugh with a single comment. He hates that Daniel knows everyone around them by name and asks about their families. And people will smile back and tell him all about their lives. Max wishes he could be able to do that too. 

Things are looking up, there are two more races and Daniel still has a chance at the championship. Then there comes the announcement that he’s leaving Red Bull. Max does not know why his entire world crumbles around him. It shouldn’t, Daniel means nothing to him. They barely acknowledge each other. 

“You are the one that’s running away this time,” Max says as they meet in the paddock. 

“There’s a difference between running,” Daniel replies coldly. “And leaving a situation that no longer works.” There is but this is the last thing Max wants to think right now. 

He doesn’t know why this hurts so much.

* * *

It’s weird seeing Daniel dressed in black and yellow. 

Max is so used to them wearing the same colors, sharing hotel rooms and motor homes. He does not like this new unknown version of Daniel. Christian has brought in Pierre and while he’s a good kid he does not have what it takes to be part of the team. Pierre is a good driver but he’s not made to take the pressure. Where Max and Daniel flourished under Helmut’s rough treatment Pierre’s spirit broke. It took him only a couple of races to be demoted and for Alex to take his place. 

“We all want to run at the start.” Max finds himself comforting Alex. The familiar words leaving his lips before he can stop them. He knows how it feels, he had been in Alex’s place before. 

“Really?” Alex asks helplessly. Max can see Christian and Helmut discussing on the back of the garage. He knows what they are saying, he knows what they are expecting from them. The same thing his father expected from him since he started karting. 

“Yeah.” Max murmurs and instinctively turns around to look for Daniel.

He’s nowhere to be found. 

Max does not know why his heart misses a beat.

* * *

“Do you miss me?” Max has no idea how they found themselves drinking in his hotel room. It feels familiar and yet brand new. They have spent countless nights in each other’s room but never racing for different teams. Daniel’s Renault merch is mixing in a very bad way with Max’s Red Bull colors. The weekend was absolutely horrible, Suzuka has fucked them both in the ass and not in a pleasurable way. 

“Do  _ you _ miss me?” Daniel throws back, trying to avoid the question. 

“I asked first, asshole.” Max narrows his eyes, taking a sip from the bottle of whiskey they are sharing. They are leaning against the headboard, side by side, shoulders barely touching. When a moment passes and Daniel does not reply Max rolls his eyes. “Of course, I miss you. Every single day I don’t hear your stupid accent.” Daniel wraps an arm around Max’s shoulder and pulls him closer to his body. Max lets him because this is the happiest he’s felt in a while. 

“I miss you too, Maxy.” Daniel finally breaths, dropping a kiss at the top of Max’s head.

* * *

Max is no longer a scared seventeen-year-old. 

He doesn’t know why everyone fails to realize that. His father, Helmut, Christian, they all still think they can bully Max into compliance. Max can see now that the reason Daniel was chased out of the team was because of his relationship with him. They worked well together, they had each other’s backs and the bosses hated it. Helmut stupidly thought that he could replace Jos and keep terrorizing Max for years to come. 

“That’s what happens when you play stupid mind games, Christian.” Max snaps when the representatives from Honda announce they will not be able to provide an engine for 2022. “You win stupid prizes. We do not have an engine for next season, you have been tormenting Alex as if this shit is his fault and I’m carrying the fucking team on my shoulders.” Max runs a hand over his face, he’s tired. So very fucking tired. 

“Max-“ Christian tries to speak but Max cuts him off. 

“No.” He shakes his head. “I let you fuck this up and let go of Daniel. I won’t allow you to blame your mistakes on me too.” And then he’s storming out of the room. 

He needs to be anywhere but here right now.

* * *

They are forced into interviews with each other regularly even though they are no longer teammates. They haven’t been for fucking years but good god they still work so well. Max knows Daniel’s queues and picks them up and it always ends up in hilarious segments. That happens in every single event or interview. Max is still tied to Red Bull until the end of 2024 but Daniel has moved to McLaren. 

Max cannot help but be proud of Daniel and how things have turned out for him. He’s gradually been climbing the podiums, getting close to the championship he has been denied for years. He doesn’t know how they’ve reached this point. One moment he’s dropping by Daniel’s drivers room to congratulate him for yet another win and the next he’s up against the wall. Daniel’s soft lips are pressed against Max’s, his hands resting gently on Max’s waist. The kiss is slow, almost innocent and Daniel tastes of Champagne and bad decisions. Max has never taken the right one in his life anyway. 

“Runaway with me.” Daniel breaths as they pull apart and Max almost laughs. 

Daniel is not joking.

* * *

The season is a shit show for Red Bull and Max cannot save anything. The cars are a disaster, the mechanics are worn out and Alex is on the verge of a breakdown. Max tried to warn Christian to lay off but no one listens to him. Which makes him even angrier because he’s nearing thirty, he’s not the scared kid they signed up in 2016. The final blow comes when Alex announces he’s leaving to join Williams and no one is surprised. Max is just sorry he could not have done more. 

Christian finds Max ins his office looking over the designs for the new car. They have the money but for some fucking reason the engineers cannot make this work. Max is just tired and worn out by this charade. Weren’t older people supposed to be good and wise leaders? If yes, why does he have to deal with their stupidity? Christian looks as tired as Max feels, black circles under his eyes. The wrinkles in his forehead seem to run deeper these days. 

“I need your help,” Christian says and he sounds defeated. 

Max knows the feeling.

* * *

Max entertains the idea of asking Toto to give some advice to Christian on how to properly manage a team. He would do it too if he wasn’t sure Christian would burst into tears. The pressure is on both of them right now. They had a long talk after Alex announced he’s leaving and Max laid everything bare for his boss. Max wants to help him but only on his own terms. There’s not going to be any fuckery from now on. They will all do what Max tells them or he’s walking out of here and he’s not even sorry about it.

Daniel has been doing great with McLaren but he still does not have a championship. It’s hard when Lewis is getting most of the wins. McLaren has a good car but it still cannot compete with the Mercedes ones. Daniel has been desperate for this win and Max knows he can give it to him. Max finds him in his driver’s room, talking quietly with Michael. He can see the storm brewing in Daniel’s eyes. Max has known him for so long. In ways, no one else will. He can tell exactly when the wind changes and Daniel is ready to move on. Max knocks on the half-open door, hard enough to alarm the other guys that he’s there. 

“Hey, stranger.” Daniel’s face lights up when he sees Max. It dawns on Max that it’s been too fucking long since the last time they were alone. He’s aching to touch Daniel, to run his fingers through Daniel’s curly hair. Fuck, now is not the time for this. 

“Do you have a moment?” Max asks and Daniel smiles. Michael just nods at him wordlessly and moves towards the door quickly. Max will never stop being impressed with the Aussie’s ability to know when to disappear into the background. 

“For you, I have more than a moment, Maxy.” Daniel rolls his eyes as he grabs Max’s hand, pulling him to stand between Daniel’s legs. Max’s fingers slip into Daniel’s hair on their own accord, this gesture is so normal to him these days that his brain does not think about it anymore. Daniel rests his forehead against Max’s stomach. In another time and place, Daniel would have made a very dirty comment about this being a very compromising position and how it allowed him access to certain places. But they are both too tired for this kind of thing right now. 

“I have a proposition for you.” Max finally murmurs and he can feel Daniel laugh. 

“Does it involve me being on my knees?" Daniel's smile is all kinds of sinful. Max contemplates the idea only for a brief second.  Maybe later. 

"Get your head out of the gutter." He rolls his eyes and Daniel pulls him down to sit on his lap. Their lips meet and Max is happy he's sitting because his knees are getting weak. "Dan-" He tries to pull back but Daniel kisses him harder. 

"I'm listening." Daniel finally says as they pull back in need of air. Max rests his forehead against Daniel's, taking a moment to compose himself. 

"I think it's time for you to come home." He's not sure if Daniel understands what he means. Max himself is not sure of what he's asking exactly. The only thing he does know is that Daniel belongs by his side, be it in a racing track or in their normal life. He seems to be thinking about it, searching for something in Max's eyes. 

"What do I get out of it?" Daniel asks and it feels more like a challenge than a question. 

"Money?" Max says matter of factly. 

"And?" Daniel prompts. 

"A world title?" Max replies and it gets him a small laugh from Daniel. 

"What else?" Daniel's lips are trailing down Max's neck. Thinking is kind of hard when the devil is wrapped around Max this way. Daniel's hand has slipped under Max's t-shirt and all Max can focus on is Daniel's fingers caressing his skin. 

“Me?” Max offers finally. 

“Ding, ding, ding.” Daniel murmurs teasingly against the side of Max’s neck. “I think we have a winner.”

* * *

In classic Daniel Ricciardo's fashion, the announcement of him returning to Red Bull comes way before talks about the new season start. He thanks Mclaren and Zak for all they did for him but he needs to come back home. For a championship and one last season. That one is a surprise even to Max. A press conference follows with the reporters firing one question after the other. Daniel seems calm and happy as always, ready for all of it. His eyes linger on Max from time to time. If anyone has noticed they mention nothing. 

Max smiles softly when Daniel laces their finger under the table, squeezing his hand gently. 

“Daniel,” Will’s voice brings them both back to reality. “No more running away?” Daniel’s smile can light up the whole fucking room. 

“No, Will,” Daniel shakes his head. “No more running away.”

There is nothing to run away from anyway. 

From now on they are only racing to a future together. 


End file.
